Source: Team GB/PC News

Twenty Athletes Selected to Compete at Bakuriani 2025

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The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today announced the 20 athletes selected to represent Team GB at the Bakuriani 2025 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF).

Running from the 9th – 16th February, Team GB’s young athletes, all aged between 14 and 17, will compete in seven of the eight sports on the programme: Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Freestyle Skiing, Freestyle Snowboard, Biathlon, Figure Skating and Short Track Speed Skating.

EYOFs play an important role in the development of young British athletes, providing crucial multi-sport event experience and guiding them towards realising their Olympic ambitions as they compete alongside over 1,600 athletes from 48 countries.

Bakuriani has recently hosted a number of winter sport events and was the venue where Mia Brookes won her maiden snowboard slopestyle world title at the 2023 Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships.

Snowboarder Emily Rothney, who comes into this EYOF on the back of first and third place results at recent European Cups, was thrilled to have made the squad: “I’m really excited to be selected for Team GB. I can’t wait to get out there, meet all my teammates and start learning.”

“I’ve been trying lots of new skills and jumps this season, and it’s found me some success. This event gives me a fantastic opportunity to continue that and fully immerse myself in something new with sports and athletes I’ve not been around before.”

Biathlete Isla Cadell, was also quick to express delight at her selection for the team: “A few years ago, I would’ve never guessed I would be selected for something like this. It’s really exciting to be part of such a major event and I’m honoured to represent Great Britain.”

The squad also features multiple athletes who return after representing Team GB in Gangwon at the 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games. Elspbeth Cruickshank, Sophie Forth and Zak Carrick-Smith all took to the snow in South Korea, with the latter making history as he secured Britain’s first ever alpine gold medal at an Olympic event – a feat which he backed up with a further gold and silver.

Charlie Burn, Team GB’s Chef de Mission for Bakuriani 2025, said: “It is a huge honour to be the Chef de Mission and lead Team GB in Bakuriani. It will be the first time many of our young athletes experience the Olympic movement and is an invaluable opportunity for them to develop in an international competition of this level.

“While it may be many of the athletes’ first exposure to a multi-sport event environment, we are also excited to welcome back three of the team from Gangwon 2024.

Team GB has a great history of youth athletes taking part in an EYOF and going on to become senior Olympians, so it will be great to support our athletes as they use Bakuriani 2025 as a foundation for development at future Games. We hope that the 2025 edition of the Winter EYOF will continue to build on the success of recent events.”

This year’s British delegation follow in the footsteps of Katie Summerhayes, Niall Treacy, Chemmy Alcott, Kirsty Muir, Charlie Guest and many others who represented Team GB at youth events before going on to compete at a senior Olympic Winter Games.

Guest, who competed at an EYOF in 2009 for Team GB, went on to become a two-time Olympian, competing at the PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 Games, will take on the role of Athlete Ambassador for Bakuriani, offering advice and support as the athletes come together as one Team GB.

Guest, who was recently elected to the BOA’s Athlete Commission said: “I am very proud to be named the Athlete Ambassador for the Bakuriani Winter European Youth Olympic Winter Festival. I have always been very passionate about sport and Team GB is such an incredibly special team. To have the chance to hopefully inspire and pass on knowledge to the next generation is something that I am really looking forward to.”

“Having competed at an EYOF myself back in 2009, I know just how these athletes are feeling. So, I’ll be looking to give them some useful information to make sure they can best use this opportunity to further their careers.”

Full squad:

Alpine –

Emily Turner, 17, Crowthorne – Berkshire
Freddy Carrick-Smith, 17, Savoie – France
Hamish Blyth, 16, Stirling – Scotland
Tabitha Milkins, 17, Bristol – England
Tia Freshwater, 16, Inverness – Scotland
Toby Stephen, 17, Chertsey – Surrey
Zak Carrick-Smith, 17, Savoie – France

Biathlon

Isla Cadell, 16, Prince George – Canada

Cross-Country –

Elspeth Cruickshank, 17, Insch – Aberdeenshire
Ewan McAdam, 17, Lochgelly – Fife
Rasmus Ipsen, 17, Stornoway – Aberdeenshire, Outer Hebrides
Sophie Forth, 17, Huntly – Aberdeenshire

Figure Skating –

Edward Solovyov, 15, Cramlington – Northumberland
Leilah Patten, 14, Sheffield – South Yorkshire

Freestyle Ski –

Artemii Teplov, 17, Peacehaven – East Sussex
Sandra Gabriela Caune, 16, Ellon – Aberdeenshire

Freestyle Snowboard –

Emily Rothney, 16, Carrbridge – Highlands
Roahan Duncan, 16, Dundee

Short Track Speed Skating –

Albert (Albie) Barlow, 16, Guilford – Surrey
Savi Buffey, 15, Hull – East Yorkshire

With thanks to Team GB

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